Pepsi

During so many Super Bowl telecasts, the pricey commercials have been the main event. But on Sunday, they played third string to not only a down-to-the-wire thriller, but Bruce Springsteen’s breathtaking halftime show.

In fact, it could be said that the gridiron combatants and The Boss produced the day’s most effective advertisements — the former for NFL football and the latter for his new album and concert tour. Talk about a rousing stimulus package.

As for those $3 million-a-pop commercials, they were a hit-and-miss collection chock full of the usual staples: wise-cracking celebrities, comical animals, special effects and so many violent sight gags they could have been flagged for unnecessary roughness.

Here’s a rundown of some of the highs and lows:

BEST USE OF A CLYDESDALE: Budweiser’s tale of an improbable romance featuring a circus horse named Daisy. An actual story line bolstered by humor, imagination and a clever payoff. A strong contender for top ad of the day.

BEST PARODY: Coke Zero used Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and an adorable little kid to play off the classic Mean Joe Green ad. It was a nice nod to nostalgia, mixed with just the right amount of modern-day irreverence.

BEST TIME TO MAKE A FRIDGE RUN: During GoDaddy.com’s spot in which college boys fantasize about Danica Patrick. Just another dose of dumb adolescent humor with no clear-cut message. RUNNER-UP: The dreadful spot from H&R Block starring the Grim Reaper. It was DOA.

BEST USE OF STAR POWER: NBC’s use of its prime-time personalities to promote its struggling lineup. Normally, we shun network promos, but several of these were smart and funny, especially the ones featuring the gang from “Heroes.”

BEST SURPRISE ENDING: Bud Light rebounds with an office worker who gets ejected from an upper-story window after having the gall to suggest that his company could save money by not bringing beer to staff meetings. That’s what we call a good kind of pain.

WORST CASE OF VIOLENCE: The Doritos numbskull who fired a “crystal ball” at a co-worker’s crotch. Can’t we leave that cheap slapstick to “America’s Funniest Home Videos”?

BEST MOVIE HYPE: Dreamwork’s “Monsters vs. Aliens” promo. The 3-D effects will surely look better on the big screen, but we applaud the ambitious effort and it kept the kids engaged.

BEST USE OF SPUDS: Bridgestone Tire’s spot with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, although they were much funnier in the “Toy Story” flicks.

BEST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES: The offer from Denny’s to dish out free Grand Slam breakfasts to one and all on Tuesday. Better get there early.

MOST IMAGINATIVE: Coca-Cola’s mesmerizing spot in which bugs make off with a guy’s Coke to the tune of “Peter and the Wolf.” It was completely void of dialogue, snarky humor and crotch shots. Still, it grabbed our attention and held us in thrall.